Ditto on transmission. I thought long and hard about the DCT. I drove both and was impressed with it. In the end my wife told me I was a p*ssy if I ordered a sports car with an automatic. She was right but I was also worried about long term maintenance cost with the DCT.

I was also on the fence as far as color. I was thinking an easier paint like white or silverstone but I am glad I got Jerez. It looks good for at least a half hour after I wash it.

I'm glad I stayed with my 6MT choice. The other day I had my Porsche Cayenne in for routine service and they gave me an Audi S4 with dual clutch as a loaner. I took advantage of the opportunity to really put some time in with this dual clutch system. No question that the shifts are lightening fast, but beyond that it is no different from a torque converter automatic which also meant (to me) that it was as boring as a torque converter automatic.

There is still nothing as gratifying (at least for the experienced manual driver) as the physical motions of using the clutch and the shifter and the satisfaction that comes when you pull it off all perfectly. It is almost like a type of achievement. That said, the M3 is not my DD. If it was my DD and/or my only car, I think I would have opted for DCT. My Porsche Cayenne is my DD and it is an automatic.